In what may turn into a constitutional crisis the United Kingdom has blocked the government of Bermuda and their flagship legislation on the use and consumption of cannabis.
Rena Lalgie the Governor has been instructed by the UK’s foreign secretary to refuse royal assent of the bill.
David Burt who is the Premier of the nation stated in the past that if the UK refused royal assent for the bill then relations between the two nations could be destroyed.
The Bermuda government is keen to push on with the legislation as there voters have given them a large mandate.
With Liz Truss, who was until yesterday in charge of the UK foreign office now becoming prime minister it is unlikely that the UK’s stance is changing any time soon.
Opposition parties in Bermuda have accused the government of knowing that the bill was never going to be given royal assent.
They point to the numerous international conventions that the UK belongs to which they would have to break to approve the bill.
Instead, the opposition believes that the government chose to push for the bill anyway knowing it would be rejected to make a stronger case for independence.
Ministers did admit last year that the bill went beyond the limits of the international convention of drugs which the UK ascribes to.
There has been a growing movement within many Caribbean nations to remove the Queen of the United Kingdom as the head of state, and this newest intervention may push Bermuda to follow their neighbours.
Medicinal cannabis is currently legal within Jamaica, Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda. Jamaica also decriminalised possession of small amounts of cannabis in 2015.
